


Scared

by The_Mystical_Wolf



Series: Miraculous one-shots [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Despite maybe a bit of angst?, F/M, Identity Reveal, Pre-Relationship, Well Marinette has a rough time with identities that's for sure, can i even call it that?, fluff all the way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 00:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8307448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Mystical_Wolf/pseuds/The_Mystical_Wolf
Summary: She had failed. After being so adamant about keeping her identity hidden, even from her partner, she had been a failure. The one moment that she let her guard off, three people found out who she was, all at once.Her parents, and her best friend.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ... This was supposed to be 2K at most...  
>  I'm out of control.
> 
>  
> 
> [Based on this dream!](http://the-mystical-wolf.tumblr.com/post/149748078689/well-so-i-just-had-another-ml-dream-these-are#notes)

She kept running.

She did not know for how long or how far she had gone, but all Ladybug could think of at the time was that she had to get away – to hide.

She had failed. After being so adamant about keeping her identity hidden, even from her partner, she had been a failure. She had always been so cautious about it, too, but the _one moment_ that she let her guard off, three people found out who she was, all at once.

Her parents, and her best friend.

How could she have done such a thing? She should have known better! How could she face Tikki, or Master Fu, or Chat Noir after failing so hard at a task that important? Hell, how could she face Alya and her parents after she had panicked and left them behind, pretending not to hear their gasps and shouts for her to come back?

She couldn’t.

Ladybug had failed, and the consequences of her failure felt heavier and scarier with every step she took.

Alya would be so mad at her for hiding for so long. From the beginning, from the very first day they had met, Marinette had been lying so much. It was for a good cause, but what if Alya did not see it that way? Not only had the blogger been trying to find her out from the start, but Marinette had just broken her trust after so long.

And she had broken her parents’ trust on her too. Marinette was not the daughter they thought they knew. Both of them would be so worried for her safety, when they realized everything she’d put herself through. She did not want to see the concern in their eyes every time she looked at them again.

Ladybug was known to be strong. She had always faced her problems head on; no matter the struggle, she’d solve them. She could not afford to be afraid, for Paris was so much more important than her own fears.

And now she had failed that too.

She was filled with regret, fear – and most of all, she was tired. Physically, and emotionally.

Feeling drained, Ladybug finally stumbled to a stop when she considered herself to be far enough from her home. She fell back harshly against the closest chimney, slowly sliding down until she was crouching. The tears spilled from her and, as much as she disliked it, the hero knew that it was useless to try and stop them. So she only hugged her knees in defeat, hiding her head in her arms and allowing herself to cry.

=X=X=X=

In his nights out, Chat Noir had seen and heard many things: from heated discussions to people walking home tiredly after work to adorable couples walking around hand in hand. Some evenings were calmer than others, more silent. And even though he loved to watch people in their livelier days, the calm could be a warm welcome, and often brought him surprises when he least expected.

That particular night seemed heavily inclined to the latter.

Maybe because it was already so late, the cat hero found himself watching calm, nearly empty streets, and hearing barely anything but his own breathing as he ran onto the rooftops, enjoying his freedom while it lasted.

He had no idea how much he had already run, and he did not really mind. If he was to be honest, he wasn’t even paying attention to where he was going, as long as it was far away from his mansion. For all Adrien knew, he could be in the other extreme of the city at the very moment. And he would probably not have stopped to look at his surroundings so soon, had he not heard a sound.

His feet came to a halt, and he perked up his cat ears to focus. The noise was really soft, and had it been any louder that night, he would probably not have noticed despite his super hearing.

Curious, Chat jumped towards its source. He landed soundlessly on the nearby rooftop, cautious not to be noisy himself as he approached the chimney. He didn’t know what exactly he would find, even though now that he was closer, the sound was clearly of someone sobbing. Slowly, he peeked around the corner of the structure, and the sight before him instantly made his heart ache.

Ladybug was crying.

He had never seen her like that before: all curled up in herself, pressed against the wall almost like she was trying to blend with it and disappear. It made her look so much smaller than she really were, so fragile.

Ladybug was not unbreakable, Adrien knew that. It felt like such sometimes, but as strong as his Lady was, he knew that she was also human and had her bad days, like he did. Still, that knowledge did nothing to help the pain in his chest as he watched her shoulders shake, the sound of her sobs echoing in his ears.

Determined to help her somehow, Chat slowly slid down the chimney and sat beside her, still unnoticed. He was quite unsure of what to do. A hug could be a great help in this kind of situation, or so he had learned from his mother when he was younger. But he wouldn’t want to impose on his Lady, and talking did not feel very appropriate either. Not finding many other options, Chat gently laid a hand on her shoulder, both to offer her comfort and announce his presence.

The touch was enough to make Ladybug jump. She gasped, her head whipping towards him in surprise. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her eyes were puffy, somewhat scared. Somehow, the sight managed to make Adrien’s heart ache even more than before, and he felt like it was breaking into pieces inside of his chest.

He looked at her worriedly, desperately wanting to help. He tried to open his mouth and ask what was wrong, but Ladybug was faster, and soon he was being pulled into a tight embrace. He felt her shaky breath against his suit when she hid her face on his neck, as well as her tears falling onto his shoulder and rolling down the leather covering his body.

Chat did not need any further instructions as his arms circled her waist and held her back tightly. He pulled his Lady closer, in hopes that his presence would be enough comfort as she cried.

 

 

It took a while for Ladybug’s sobs to come to a stop, being replaced by light sniffles every now and then.

Slowly, the heroine pulled away and thanked him softly. Her partner only nodded and, although he gave her space once more, Ladybug did not fail to notice his hand still holding her waist. At any other time, she would have teased him about not knowing the meaning of personal space, but she knew that he was concerned. Chat wanted nothing but to help her, and the gesture was certainly appreciated.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked softly. His voice came out small, quite insecure, much to Chat’s own dismay. He was always mindful of his Lady’s boundaries, and despite the last few minutes of hugging, he was still afraid that he would cross a line.

Ladybug looked up at him, and her expression filled him with despair. It looked like she was about to cry again, and this time it seemed to be his fault. Chat tried to quickly remember everything that he had done up until that point, and even when he found nothing that could possibly have set her off, he was ready for a long and sincere apology for making her feel worse. She beat him to it for the second time that night.

“I’m sorry,” somehow, her voice managed to come out weaker than his own, and she looked down in shame. “I’ve made a mistake and I simply cannot undo it… A-And I have no idea how to deal with it either.” She took a deep breath before looking back up. “Oh Chat, they’re going to be so mad at me! Or upset! Most likely both! How will I ever be able to look at them again?!”

Ladybug started rambling, something about betraying people’s trust, and Chat couldn’t really understand a thing about what was going on. He shushed her and pulled her back against him, ever so gentle. He left room for his Lady to back away if she wished, but all she did was accept his embrace. “Relax Buginette… Why don’t you tell me everything from the beginning?” He asked, before suddenly correcting himself. “I-If you’re fine with it, that is.”

Chat sounded so nervous that it made Ladybug feel warm, if not a little guilty. Even now, he was still afraid to go too far, even if he was obviously aching to help her. Her silly, loyal kitty… Always so worried, always there for her, even when his awfully timed puns threw her off. It was no wonder why, despite feeling awful about her earlier mistakes, she wasted no time before seeking for his comfort. Why she knew that she could trust him with this.

“My best friend and I were supposed to have a sleepover tonight,” Ladybug started after a deep breath, looking up to find Chat paying full attention to her. When he nodded for her to continue, she looked back away and obliged. “We’ve been planning tonight for a whole week now. She was supposed to come just before dinner, and we would eat, play a few games, watch a few movies… Normal sleepover things.

“So I was waiting for her in my room, but it was still quite early. For once I had done all of my homework due tomorrow, and I’m in the middle of this awful artblock, so designing something to kill time was completely out of question. I did not have much else to do, and I still had a while… So I thought, why not a quick patrol on the neighborhood before she arrives?

“I made sure that my parents were still working and went out through my balcony. There were no akumas, obviously, but I did help a few people here and there. It took me a little longer than I expected, but I was sure I’d be home on time.” She let out a small, humorless laugh. “You’d think I’d know better… Turns out, Al– my friend – got there early. I didn’t know. And since I was out I still don’t know what exactly happened… But I can take my guesses – maybe she found my room empty, and I wouldn’t pick up my phone, and my parents did not know where I was either…

“Thing is, when I jumped in from the balcony, they were all in my room.”

Ladybug paused, remembering their faces when she fell onto her bed, watching her transformation fade. She did not know they were inside, and when she noticed their presence it had been too late to call back her magic or hide anywhere.

Thinking back, it would probably have been funny to see their shocked faces if it had been any other situation. Alya even managed to drop her phone, gaping at her so widely that a fly or two might have found their way into her mouth. And her parents were not much better either, both failing to move or say anything as they stared at her – and she stared back. Surprised, scared, unsure, and guilty were only half of the things that Marinette had felt at the time, and she couldn’t even dare to look at Tikki without feeling any worse.

Jumping back into the present, Ladybug felt two clawed thumbs gently wiping tears away from her face. Apparently, she had started crying again without noticing.

“What happened then?” Chat’s voice was gentle, and she knew he had figured out what made her feel so miserable.

“I ran away,” was her sincere reply. “I transformed again and ran before any of them had the chance to say anything.”

The blonde hero nodded in understanding, his hand slowly rubbing her back in soothing motions.

“I know you’re beating yourself up about it,” he spoke after a while, “but it was an accident, you couldn’t have known.”

“I can’t simply label this _only_ as an accident, Chat.” She frowned up at him. “I mean, yeah, I did not know that they were there, and I have used my powers for things other than akumas before, but I just… I’m always so cautious! I try my best to hide it, and I should have known better to just get out when I’m waiting for _one of my biggest fans_ of all people! Besides, I can’t relax because ‘it was just an accident’. Next accident could be in front of the whole city! What would I do then?!”

Chat had no idea what to say to that. Ladybug was right, obviously – but then again, she usually was.

“Good point.” He sighed. “But it’s already done this time, so… What are you going to do now?”

Her reply came as a weak shake of the head, indicating that she did not know.

“What would you do if your parents found out?”

“Honestly, my Lady, I don’t think my relationship with my father would be the best example for you to follow right now,” Chat tried to joke, leading Ladybug to raise one of her eyebrows in confusion. He chose not to elaborate. “Tell me about your parents instead. Are they nice? Understanding?”

She nodded in response. “I would be lying if I said that they are anything short of amazing. Not perfect, obviously, but still…” She paused thoughtfully. “I think that’s what makes this so difficult for me. They’re wonderful parents, always there for me, always so loving… And I know they have the best intentions even when it’s hard for me to comprehend. A– my best friend –has always been so wonderful too. We hit it off from the beginning, and I can always count on her – just like I’m there for her every time I have the chance.

“But still… I’ve been lying behind their backs for about a year now. And now they know, and it could change everything. I could lose my friend, and my relationship with my parents could never be the same again. And I don’t know what to do…

“I’m scared.”

Chat could hear his heart break a third time that night as he listened to Ladybug’s worries. He was kind of envy, really – aside from Nino, nowadays he did not know how any of that felt like. It was amazing, and quite a relief, to know that his Lady was surrounded by such wonderful people, and to think that she could lose it too was too much.

He did not know what to do. He did not know her family, or her friends, and perhaps her worries were nothing but that – anxieties that would not come to concretize –, but they were still there. And they still made Ladybug feel miserable, and made him feel useless because he had no idea how he could help.

So Chat only held her tighter, letting out a trembling sigh, before he tried. “I know it is not much, but I think you will be fine… You’re lucky, my Lady, to have such great people there for you. And if they’re anything like you, I just know that they won’t fail to be by your side even now.”

“But what if they do?” Her voice was strained, and he knew that she was holding back her tears once more.

“Then you’ll have me,” Chat replied without missing a beat. Because if there was one thing he knew for certain that and every other night, were his feelings for her. “I’ll always be here, so no matter what, you will never be alone.”

Out of all things that he had said so far, that was the first one to make Ladybug smile. A small smile, sure, and it did not help her solve any of her problems, but it was a reassurance and it did help her feel better.

“Thanks, Chat.” She wrapped her arms around his waist to return his embrace, and rested her head on his chest. “I’ll always be here for you too.”

He smiled back, resting his cheek atop her head in return.

It was so peaceful to be with him that way, that she couldn’t help but enjoy the moment.

“I don’t want to go back yet,” her voice came out as a whisper, and so did his one second later.

“Then you don’t have to.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving, my Lady.”

Ladybug felt her smile become more genuine, and she hugged him tighter as the silence took over.

Despite everything, she had to admit that she was pretty lucky to have Chat Noir as her partner, no matter who he was. And at moments like that, involved in his warmth and hearing nothing but the sound of their own breathing, Ladybug could never be more thankful for him being in her life. Hopefully she would be able to return everything he’s ever done for her someday.

 

It wasn't until hours later that both heroes finally moved again where they sat, the light stirring them awake.

The first to open his eyes was Chat, who took a few moments to comprehend that he had ended up falling asleep on a rooftop next to his Lady.

She was asleep too, just as tangled on him as she had been before – or even more, seeming how she somehow found her way to sit between his legs in her sleep. Her hair was quite messy, a few strands falling out of her usual pigtails, and her mouth was slightly open. She still had her cheek pressed against his chest, and by the way she held him, Chat could assume that he was a very good pillow.

The sight brought a smile to his lips, and for a moment, he couldn't help but think that that's how he wanted to wake up every day: completely tangled with Ladybug. Not on a rooftop, of course, but maybe inside of a cozy room in a small house that would be theirs. And most importantly, with no suits to keep them apart. Just him and her, as who they were, together every day until the end.

But that was not the moment for daydreaming, Chat knew. He should put those thoughts aside and wake her up. It was already morning, the first sun rays slowly dying the sky a light blue. Her parents were probably worried about her, and so was her best friend.

Ignoring how he desperately wanted to hold her a little longer, Chat gently shook her shoulder, calling for her.

The motion made her move, but was not enough to wake her up just yet.

“Five more minutes, Tikki…” her words came out messy, making them quite difficult to understand.

Chat grinned, finding himself nothing short of amused. So his Lady was a heavy sleeper, hm? He would add that to his list of things he knew about her so far.

He shook her again. “I’m not Tikki, Buginette, and you should wake up now if you want to arrive home in time for school.”

That seemed to pick Ladybug’s curiosity as she finally opened one eye to look at him.

Her reaction only added to his amusement: her other eye snapped open in an instant, clearly not expecting to find herself suited on top of a roof with her partner. She looked around, surprised, before the memories of only a few hours ago came flooding back, causing her shoulders to slump.

“Oh.” Ladybug yawned, looking back at him. “I guess we stayed for longer than I thought.”

“We truly did.” Reluctantly, he let go of her and stood up, offering her a hand. “You should go. Your family must be very worried right now.”

She only nodded in response before accepting his offer to pull her up. As soon as she was standing, Chat Noir kissed the back of her hand, his lips feeling like a gentle brush on her knuckles.

“I hope everything will be okay, my Lady. Do tell me how it goes later, alright?”

Her hand suddenly felt cold as he dropped it. She watched as he retrieved his staff from his back and expanded it, ready to jump away.

But she was not ready yet.

Ladybug did not want him to go. He made her feel much better that night, and no matter how much she could try to deny it, Chat did make her feel safe. Besides, he was the one other person she knew with a Miraculous like hers, he understood the weigh she was feeling to at least some extent.

And, despite feeling more confident about the whole situation, she couldn’t – or rather, she _didn’t want to_ – do this alone.

Acting quickly, not really thinking, she reached her hand towards her partner. “Wait!”

Ever so compliant, Chat turned his head back towards her, his eyes filled with curiosity.

She gulped, suddenly not so sure about what she would be doing next.

“C-Come with me.”

She saw his eyes widen, looking at her almost as if she had grown a second head. _Bad idea._

“W-What?!”

“I said c-come with me. I… I would feel better if you were there with me.”

If it was even possible, his eyes seemed to grow even wider. His expression was alarmed, and she could practically hear him screaming _‘You do realize what will happened if I follow you home, don’t you?!’_

Well, she knew. But surprisingly, she found that she didn’t care.

“But my Lady,” the hero gulped, finally voicing his thoughts, “your identity?”

“I know. But if I were to be honest… Considering everything that has happened since last night, I think that adding you to the list of people who know wouldn’t be quite so bad.” She smiled shyly. “I trust you, mon minou.”

Chat’s face lit up adorably, even though she could still see the doubt in his eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Just follow me.”

With that, she launched off with her yo-yo, being soon followed by her partner. During the whole way, he asked her about two or three more times if she was sure about this, and that whenever she changed her mind, she could just tell him to go.

_Silly kitty._

Quite a few rooftops away – she was surprised by how far she had run –, they landed on her balcony. Ladybug did not find the need to say anything as she opened the hatch that led into her room, but the sudden silence that fell over them felt odd.

Honestly, it was so quiet that she started wondering if Chat was even breathing.

Turning her head towards him, she found her kitten frozen in place, his eyes wide with what could only be realization. For a moment, Ladybug allowed herself to doubt her decision.

“M-Marinette?”

The girl found herself quite surprised that Chat Noir would remember her, let alone where she lived, since he didn’t do much but save her a few times before. Slowly, she nodded in response, not knowing what to expect from him.

The happiness that took over his whole body was actually breath-taking. Ears and tail erect, Chat looked at her like she was a whole new person entirely, and yet she could see the same trust and devotion in his eyes that she had always seen before. His smile was so genuine that she could _feel_ the excitement flowing from his body.

She found herself unconsciously smiling back before motioning for him to come closer, and then finally jumping down the hatch and into her room.

She fell onto her mattress and immediately got off so he could do the same. As a soft noise came from his feet landing on the wooden stairs beside her, Ladybug scanned her room, soon finding her best friend staring at her from her chaise.

Alya looked awful, it was obvious that she had barely gotten any sleep the past night. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was completely disheveled. She had her phone in one hand, undoubtedly searching for any news of her on the Ladyblog. Her eyes – quickly moving to look at Chat but mostly focused on the spotted hero herself – had a mix of fear and relief in then.

The sight did nothing but contribute to Ladybug’s growing guilt from the night prior.

“Alya…” she called softly, ready to apologize. She would explain everything from the beginning, answer every possible question that her best friend had if only that meant making her look a bit better again.

“Marinette!!” The girl seemed to finally grasp the fact that her best friend was back, launching herself at the hero for a hug. The tackle took Ladybug by surprise, and she would probably have fallen backwards had Chat not been there to hold them. “Girl, we were so worried about you! Don’t just disappear like that!”

“I’m sorry…” the hero spoke after she managed to regain her balance.

“You better be, you gave me a heart attack,” the blogger scolded, pulling back to look at her. “Twice, if you count me finding your room empty yesterday!”

Despite trying to appear mad, it was obvious for both heroes that Alya was just worried, as well as very happy to see her friend again. Neither of them could hide how glad they felt at that knowledge.

“I know, I’m awful. But I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“Then start adding a few thousand more croissants to your debt list, girl.” It was Alya’s turn to smile, obviously relieved, “and a good amount of interviews from both of you.”

“You can count on me for that!” Chat replied enthusiastically while Ladybug giggled.

The blogger then back away, heading to the trapdoor. “Let me call your parents, they fell asleep on the couch not long ago. You better be ready for an earful!”

After a nod from her best friend, the girl disappeared downstairs, leaving the heroes alone once again.

Allowing her transformation to finally fade away, Marinette let out a sigh of relief, feeling much more secure than before. Tikki hovered next to her, offering a small, comforting smile that she soon retrieved. On the other side, Chat gently squeezed her shoulder, and grinned when he had her attention.

“I told you you’d be alright, my Lady. You’re just as lucky as always.”

Marinette grinned back, putting her hand over his in gratitude. Yes, right now, all of her fears seemed quite dumb to begin with, but she would not be able to get through them as easily as she had without him.

“Marinette!”

The shout drew their attention back to the trapdoor, from where a very worried Sabine came out and ran towards her daughter, Tom soon appearing as well.

“Maman!” Marinette left Chat’s side and met the older woman halfway, both of them hugging each other tightly when her father joined, his big arms involving both women with ease.

From the side, Chat, Tikki and Alya (who seemed to decide that asking about the flying red creature could wait) only watched with matching smiles as Marinette repeatedly apologized in her parents’ arms, and both of them reassured her that it would be alright.

“Just try not to scare us like that again, Marinette,” her father pleaded. “You nearly gave us a heart attack–"

“Twice, I know… I will warn you next time,” she promised. It was not like she had anything to hide anymore, they already knew who she was. Giving a warning about when she was leaving would not hurt at all – she already did that about her other activities anyway.

“Where did you ran off to after all? We were so worried.”

“At first I was just doing a quick patrol.” Marinette finally pulled away from them. “The second time… I was panicking, sorry. But I was lucky, really. I’d still probably be out if Chat did not find me.”

Suddenly, the cat hero found himself in the spotlight as both adults recognized his presence in the room. Usually, he would not mind the attention much, but with those being Marinette’s – _Ladybug’s –_ parents, he found himself to be quite nervous.

He waved awkwardly, causing the two teenage girls in the room to giggle. That was not funny, internally he was actually screaming!

“So, you are the person who keeps my Marinette safe out there.” Tom approached, offering him a grateful smile. “I’d like to thank you.”

“A-Actually,” Chat cleared his throat, “your daughter knows how to take care of herself just well, M-Monsieur. More likely, she’s the one looking after me.”

“So modest, Chaton, we take care of each other… Even though I don’t usually agree with your methods.” She frowned, and Chat couldn’t help but give her the ultimate ‘I regret nothing’ grin. She huffed.

“Why don’t you come downstairs with us, son?” Tom offered, being followed shortly by his wife.

“Have both of you eaten anything last night? I bet you must be so hungry.”

 _Tempting._ Very, very tempting. But he could not simply give in – Marinette didn’t need him there anymore, did she? She probably wanted some time alone with her family.

“Oh, there’s no need to worry! I should go home soon anyway, I don’t want to bother anyone.”

“Not at all, dear.” Sabine smiled. “Any friend of Marinette’s is always welcome here. You both must be hungry, you and…” she trailed off, looking at the small red kwami floating around, not quite sure what exactly to say.

“Tikki.” The fairy smiled, her cute voice surprising everyone who had never seen a kwami before. “Pleasured to meet you!”

“… Pleasure, darling.” Sabine did her best to act like the situation was completely normal, offering a finger for Tikki to shake with a bit of uncertainty. The woman deserved some kudos for that, considering that both Alya and Tom were still completely frozen in shock.

Marinette smiled at her mother, before turning her attention back to her partner. “Come on, Chat, you should stay. I always thought it’d be great to have a pet around here.” She joked, ruffling his hair.

For a moment, the hero allowed himself to completely forget everyone else in the room, falling back into their normalcy.

“Aw, Buginette, would you miss me that much if I left?”

“Psh, hardly.” She shook her head. “How did I end up with such a dork for a partner?”

“Oh, you mean how you ended up with such a handsome, _clawesome_ and completely _ameowzing_ _pawtner_?” He teasingly flexed one of his arms, leaning in closer and waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “I have yet to understand that myself, _Purrincess_.”

The whole room fell silent then, and Marinette’s unamused expression was so familiar, yet looked so funny on her, that it took everything the cat boy had not to laugh.

Still, he failed once she pushed his face away with one hand, walking away from him with intentions of leaving the room. “No. _No._ You’ve just lost your pastry privileges with those puns.”

He gasped dramatically. Such disrespect for his humor! “But my Lady, those were my best! They certainly deserve a _purrize_!”

“No. You’re a _bad kitty!_ ” She called, already downstairs.

“ _You know you love me!_ ”

“ _You keep telling yourself that!_ ”

Between their usual banter, Alya’s snickers, Tikki’s and Sabine’s amused smiles, and Tom’s own share of puns, the group sat in the living room for a long while to talk. Both Marinette and Chat Noir answered as many questions as they could with the help of Tikki, before they started sharing their adventures with her family.

Chat was given a big plate of amazing pastries all for himself – even though he gladly shared his cookies with his Lady’s kwami –, and it was not hard to figure out that he was more than welcome by the Dupain-Chengs in their small home. That made him wish that they knew who he was as well.

How amazing would it be, if they saw him not only as Chat Noir, but also as Adrien? To be able to feel that warmth no matter how he visited them?

And he wanted his Lady to see him as a whole.

By the time that he went home – hurrying upstairs while a very worried Marinette pushed him out of her balcony because really, he was _late_ –, he had made up his mind. He’d tell them, all five of them, who he was.

 

Later that week, Marinette was confused.

The whole class – aside from Lila and Chloé – seemed very excited as soon as she arrived, giving her not so discreet glances and sudden smiles. Alya was pratically beaming.

On top of her desk, there was a small paper, where she could read the words _“I’m waiting for you in the library, Princess”_ followed by a small cat doodle.

Glancing at her best friend, the blogger confirmed her suspicions: an untransformed Chat Noir was waiting for her. And – much to her relief –, her classmates seemed to not know about the super hero bit of the story, which made their sudden enthusiasm all the more intriguing.

She was confused, sure, but she did not back away.

Standing in front of the library, she paused. Behind those doors, her partner was waiting for her, unmasked. He was willing to tell her who he was, just like she did with him.

Was she scared?

_No._

Not anymore.

Anxious, maybe. But for once ever since she’d become a superhero, the topic of their identities did not alarm her. She felt calm, and – dared she admit it – quite excited to finally know him.

With one last, deep breath, Marinette stepped forward, pushing the door open and peeking inside. The person before her made her eyes grow wide for one moment, her cheeks reddening. But soon she managed to calm down, a bright smile founding its way onto her lips to match her partner’s.

Finally stepping into the library, she closed the door behind her, separating them from the rest of the world.

“Adrien,” she breathed.

If possible, his grin grew brighter, and her heart skipped a beat.

“C’est moi, my Lady.”

**Author's Note:**

> This got longer than I expected, but I regret nothing.
> 
> On a side note, do you guys like those "Watching Miraculous" fanfictions where the characters react to their own show?  
> Because I have like, two chapters + on intro ready and I am dying to post'em.


End file.
